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Tonight: Home improvement loan to city manager, general plan update before Menlo Park council

It's full steam ahead tonight for the Menlo Park City Council's last meeting before the city's administration shuts down for a week during the Christmas holiday.

The Dec. 17 meeting kicks off with a closed session at 6 p.m. for negotiations with two employee unions, then goes into a study session to look at updates to Menlo Park's general plan, which sets the framework for development within the city, this time with a focus on the M2 area located between U.S. 101 and the Bay.

The consent calendar will likely spark some public comment, as one item pertains to compensation for City Manager Alex McIntyre. The council is being asked to approve a $360,000 home improvement loan at 2.5 percent interest; reduce the interest on the $1.1 million loan extended for the purchase of his home from 3.5 to 3 percent; and increase the city's contribution to his retirement savings account by about $100 a year if he opts out of the city's health insurance program. His annual salary  currently $199,000 -- would not increase, according to the staff report.

The regular meeting starts at 7 p.m. in council chambers at the Civic Center at 701 Laurel St. Click here to see the agenda and associated staff reports. The meeting can be watched live online via the city's website.

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Posted by Not right
a resident of Menlo Park: other
on Dec 17, 2013 at 12:56 pm

City Manager should not be rewarded for poor job performance marked by bad decision making. Very few in the private sector enjoys the benefits offered to him. This sends a bad message to the troops.

I am appalled at the fact that the council is even considering lowering this guys's rate and loaning him an additional $360K for home remodeling. Look at his record...gymnastic teacher dismissal, added more staff and ran us up to the top of the list for number of staff vs. residents, recent 7 % increases for staff plus all the other items in that deal which includes secretive arbitration for labor disputes. In private industry a director level person with 250 employees and a $25-30 million revenue operation would certainly not get these kind of benefits. What is the Council thinking???

Posted by So Wrong
a resident of Menlo Park: Menlo Oaks
on Dec 17, 2013 at 8:04 pm

The City Council should not be granting gifts to this CIty Manager. Yes, we would ALL like lower interest rates - there is nothing that warrants granting this to the City Manager. Wasting Taxpayer's money should not be rewarded. His mishandling of the City Police officer caught with a hooker, rubber stamping the firing of beloved teacher Michelle Sutton and hiding the investigation from the public, Expensive retreats for City Staff to "tell their stories" and most recently ten of thousands of dollars wasted to commission a new logo for the City that wasn't necessary. Add that into the money wasted on his "rebranding campaign" and the way I see it, he OWES taxpayers money. The City Council just needs to hire a new City Manager that is capable of LEADING and be done with this mess. Time to cut our losses and cut him loose.

Posted by Had Enough!
a resident of Menlo Park: other
on Dec 17, 2013 at 9:15 pm

Let's not forget that when this City Manager came on board, he laid off staff in the name of the elimination of RDA funding (and hires an assistant to the City Manager) - nothing about that episode was fair - yet he, as So Wrong correctly writes, "mishandles the City Police officer caught with a hooker". He violates union contract, and gets away with it. Enough is enough - let him go; not pay him more!